Helen Ida Wilcox Ianelli

Helen Ida Wilcox Ianelli, 86, passed away on Sunday morning, March 22, 2015 at the Samuel F. Vilas Home. She was born December 11, 1928, the daughter of Ruth Evenson and Ralph Wendell Wilcox in Plattsburgh, NY. Helen graduated from PHS in 1947 and started her career as a phone operator, supervisor and trainer in Rochester, NY. In 1951, on a blind date, she met the love of her life, John Ianelli. They were married on May 31, 1952, and moved back to Plattsburgh in 1955 where they raised their 5 children in the community that they so loved. Helen opened the first New York licensed nursery school in the area called the Jack and Jill Play Center and ran it from their home for 12 years. During this time she became interested in puppeteering and produced many shows for local school and children's groups, a favorite being "Spots and Stripes", a story about getting along with people who are different than you. In 1968, she became the art teacher for St. John's Elementary School and a volunteer for the YMCA summer arts programs. When Plattsburgh became the Hospitality City for the 1980 Olympics, Helen became chairman of Plattsburgh Pride Committee and began a bi-monthly magazine called "Plattsburgh Alive" to promote the area. She ran the magazine with the help of many great friends for 8 years and then handed it over to Herb Carpenter to continue as publisher. While she was working on Plattsburgh Pride, she produced "Plattsburgh is the Name of the Game", a monopoly like board game, and initiated the very popular, annual Press Republican Sand Sculpture Contest. Later Helen became involved with the Friends of the Library organization and was president for 10 years. She started their art gallery, used book sale, and "local artist-painted pots" fundraiser. She made a map called "Discover Historic Plattsburgh" and started a business that provided personal guides to groups of visitors to the area. All the while, Helen continued to take arts classes and paint. She was always full of creative ideas and stories, printing a comic book story of Oscar's (their dog's) cruise down Lake Champlain to Block Island, and the Matilda Croak Shaw Halloween series of stories and pictures for her grandchildren. Helen was active in many other service organizations. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, past president of the Clinton Community College Foundation, past vice president of the Samuel F. Vilas Home, board member of the Alice T. Miner Institute, the Kent-Delord House Garden Club, the North Country Cultural Center for Arts, and many others. She was honored by the Plattsburgh Business and Professional Women in 1979 as the Business Women of the Year; by the Chamber of Commerce in 1987 with her husband John as Irish Persons of the Year; by the Boy Scouts in 1993 with the Distinguished Citizen Award; by the Council on the Arts for Clinton County in 1994 with the Annual Art Award; by the Kiwanis Club in 1995 as Citizen of the Year and by the CFE Libraries in 2000 with the Richard Lawrence Award. Helen was predeceased by her husband, John, her daughter-in-law, Martha, her sister, Ruth Pitcher, her brother, Ralph Wilcox, and her parents. She is survived by her five children, Catherine Ianelli Johnston and her husband Wayne of Lake Placid, John Wilcox Ianelli of Lincolnville, Maine, Joseph Lawrence Ianelli and his wife Carolyn of Richmond, Vt., Joanne Ianelli Kelly and her husband Lee of Wausau, Wisc. and James Nelson Ianelli and his wife Jeannie Finnegan of Seattle, Wash., 12 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and a sister-in-law, Irene Guzzo of Garrison, N.Y. A Memorial Service will be celebrated on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 11 am at the First Presbyterian Church on Brinkerhoff Street in Plattsburgh. In lieu of flowers donations in Helen's memory may be made to the Samuel F. Vilas Home Generator Project or the Friends of the Plattsburgh Public Library. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brown Funeral Home, 29 Broad St., Plattsburgh, NY 12901, 518-561-3980 Online condolences and memorial candles may be offered at www.brownfuneralhomeinc.com.